Airbnb moves further into local activities with Trip4real acquisition

Airbnb has acquired travel activities marketplace startup Trip4real, reports TechCrunch. Trip4real connects travelers with local activities and experiences that they can book online before their trip.

This acquisition pushes Airbnb further into the hospitality industry, apart from its peer-to-peer lodging platform, significantly increasing its threat to the hotel industry.

Airbnb is rapidly moving into local travel guides and services. The home-sharing site is more closely aligning itself with traditional hotels and lodging as it expands its local travel guide offerings. In April, the company launched its Guidebooks tool, which lets renters on Airbnb share information about local businesses including restaurants, bars, and attractions.

Airbnb is also reportedly looking to launch a stand-alone travel app, aimed at connecting guests with the local community, which could also include Guidebooks. Acquiring Trip4real further cements Airbnb's increasingly hotel-like approach by contributing similar concierge services, while also providing a new revenue stream for the company via online bookings.

This significantly raises the threat Airbnb poses to traditional hotels. One of the biggest differentiators between Airbnb and traditional hotels is the number of services and local knowledge that hotel guests receive from hotel staff and concierges. However, Airbnb's recent moves push the company deeper into the hotel industry by connecting travelers with their surroundings via local residents and third-party platforms.

This is a significant problem for traditional hotels, as Airbnb is continually stealing market share from them. In order to better compete with Airbnb, hotels and traditional lodging establishments should look to increase digital tools for guests. For example, offering a similar booking app for local establishments like Trip4real could significantly increase customer engagement, and encourage travelers to return for future trips.